Toothpaste dispenser



March 26, 1957 J. M. LAPEYRE TOOTHPASTE DISPENSER Filed Ma 15, 1955 IN V EN TOR.

J. M. LAPEYRE ATTORNEY? Uni d State Pea TOOTHPASTE DISPENSER Jiiin'es M. Lapeyre,- New Orleans, La. Application May 15, 1953, Serial No. 355,383

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-95) The present invention relates to improvements in tooth paste dispensers and has for an object to provide a device for hydraulically acting upon the deformable walls of a tooth paste or like tube to squeeze the contents therefrom in a series of successive measured discharges adequate for the needs of each application of tooth paste.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tooth paste dispenser in the form of a simple bydraulic pump for progressively squeezing the deformable walls of the tube and for additionally controlling the expulsion and delivery of the contents of such tube by a finger-manipulated gate valve.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a compact form of dispenser for tooth paste and the like adapted to be supported at a convenient location in the bathroom or other desired locality in which water is immediately available for replenishment of the hydraulic system and wherein the tooth paste tubes may be readily loaded into the device and quickly and easily withdrawn and discarded.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto.

1n the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an improved tooth paste dispenser constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Figure 1 and with parts broken away and parts shown in section;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device with the cover removed;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken on an enlarged scale, through the lower portion of the pressure chamber and gate cap;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken through the device, showing the diaphragm pump depressed and the check valve closed; and

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the gate cap with the gate in open position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates a container or pressure chamber and 11 represents an adjoining reservoir open at its upper end for receiving a quantity of water or other hydraulic fluid.

The container 10 and reservoir 11 are united or combined and supported by brackets 12 or the like from a wall mounting support.

A port 13 establishes communication between the reservoir 11 and the container 10 at a low point in the system and such port is under the control of a flap or check valve 14 opening inwardly of the container 10. A re-' 'silient pump diaphragm 15 is mounted in one wall of the pressure chamber 10 and is adapted to be depressed inwardly by the pressure of a finger of the operator. The container or pressure chamber 10 is closed at its upper portion by a screw or other cover 16. In the lower para Patented Mar 26; E57

tion or the container 10 is a bottom an 1'7 navi' round or other apeningrs' for receivirigfreely therethrough the screw neck 26 of a collapsible inv rted e tribe 19. The screw cap is previously remo d I 20 so that a gate cap 21 having a serevvsocket 22 may be screwed up'ori 'the downwardly protruding crew neck 20. The gate cap 21 is provided with a disgil'rarge orifice 23 normally closed by a swinging gate valve 24 hung from the pivots 25. I

In operation, a full tube 19 with its cap removed is inverted and inserted with its tube spout 20 downward into the container 10 after first removing the container cover 16. As the tube 19 is lowered into the container 10 fully the tube spout 20 will protrude through the opening 18 of the container bottom 17 as shown clearly in Figure 5. Once the tube spout 20 arrives at this position, the gate cap 21 is screwed onto the threads of the tube spout or neck 20 sufficiently to pull the face or breast of the collapsible tube 19 firmly against the container bottom 17. The container 10 is then filled with water. The water will be prevented from escape through the bottom opening 18 due to the fact that the face or breast of the tube 19 forms a seal over the opening 18 and against the bottom 1'7 of the container. With the container 10 filled with Water the cover 16 is screwed back into place forming a hydraulic seal at the top end of the container or pressure chamber 10. The reservoir 11 is then also filled with water by pouring same into the open upper end thereof.

To dispense paste from the collapsible tube 19, it is only necessary to pump water from the reservoir 11 into the container or pressure chamber 10 under pressure sufficient to displace the paste from the volume of the container 19. This pumping is accomplished by depressing or pushing upon the diaphragm 15 with the thumb or finger as indicated in Figure 5. When the residient di- :aphragm pump 15 is pushed inwardly the volume of the container 10 is proportionately reduced and the check valve flap 14 closes against its orifice 13 thereby stopping any flow of water from the container 10 to the reservoir 11. This position of the parts is shown in Figure 5.

Since the only other opening from the container is by way of the tube spout 20, the hydraulic pressure built up from the depression of the diaphragm 15 forces paste from the tube 10 and through the single opening or discharge aperture 23 of the gate cap 21. As the diaphragm 15 is released, it returns to its original condition (Figure 1) due to the elasticity of the material from which it is made. In returning to its original undepressed condition, the diaphragm increases the volume of the container back to its original volume. When this occurs the check valve flap 14 opens and water is drawn from the reservoir 11 into the container 10. The dispenser is now ready for another depression of the diaphragm 15. Every depression of the diaphragm will result in the dispensing of a small amount of paste from the tube 19. Since the pressure per square inch which is applied to the diaphragm is transmitted undiminished to the entire surface of the tube, complete evacuation of the tube is easily effected. The gate 24 automatically swings down by gravity to seal off the discharge aperture 23 when the dispenser is not in use. This gate valve 24 may be opened by a flip of the finger, the open position being shown in Figure 6, which permits the discharge of the tooth paste or other material. The gate valve ,24 may be held open by one hand while the other hand is employed in operating diaphragm pump 15. I

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

For use with a filled collapsible tube, a material dispensef comprising a hydraulic container having an opening therethrough through which the contents of the tube may be expelled, said container being adapted to receive said tube and retain same with the discharge opening of thet'ubein communication with the container opening, a hydraulic fluid reservoir in communication with said hydraulic container, a check valve between said reservoir and container, means associated with said container for creating a hydraulic pressure therein to collapse the tube and 'expel the contents therefrom while causing said check valve to seat prohibiting hydraulic fluid from the p v, 4 container bleeding off into the reservoir whereby upon removal of the application of pressure the check valve will unseat admitting a quantity of hydraulic fluid from the reservoir to the container equal in amount substantially to the volumetric quantity of material dispensed mm the tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,335 Cocks May 28, 1929 2,641,252 Leonard May 19, 1936 2,608,320 Harrison Aug. 26, 1952 

